GREENWOOD FIRE QUICK FACTS: ACRES: 26,112 CONTAINMENT: 49% PERSONNEL: 344

SUMMARY: Started by lightning, the Greenwood Fire was detected on August 15, 2021, about 3:00 p.m. on the Laurentian Ranger District. The fire started approximately ten miles southwest of Isabella. 14 primary structures and 57 outbuildings were destroyed on August 23. The objective of fire management for the Greenwood Fire is full suppression using all available resources.

YESTERDAY: Firefighters patrolled and mopped up along Highway 2, paying particular attention to an unburned island of fuel near the southwestern fire edge. They continued to secure the southern and eastern fire perimeters with handlines and mechanical lines. Crews scouted along the Highway 1 corridor and mopped up any remaining hot spots.

TODAY: Fire crews will patrol and mop up along Highway 2, extinguishing any pockets of heat they find. Along the southern and eastern fire perimeter, crews will patrol and secure the fire edge with direct handline construction. Tracked equipment will be used where feasible. Crews will be cleaning up along Highway 1 where masticators were used to reduce the fuel load earlier in the incident.

WEATHER/FIRE BEHAVIOR: A surface storm system and cold front are expected to be over the region today with numerous showers and thunderstorms. Some storms may be strong with a marginal risk of severe weather including damaging wind gusts, hail and frequent lightning. Rainfall amounts are expected to range from a tenth to a quarter of an inch with locally higher amounts. Temperatures will be in the mid-60s with minimum relative humidity of 55-60%. No significant fire spread is expected; however, some creeping and smoldering is possible.

SAFETY & EVACUATIONS: Yesterday, the Lake County Sheriff lifted evacuations for primary residential homeowners along Highway 1, and opened Highway 1 from Lankinen Rd to the junction with Highway 2 to those full-time residents only. Passes will be issued to homeowners at the checkpoint. The McDougal Lake area remains closed. For information about entering your property, call Lake County Dispatch, 218-510-0640. You may also sign up for emergency text alerts and calls from Lake County at https://www.co.lake.mn.us/emergency-management/.

CLOSURES:

• Hwy 1 is closed from New Tomahawk Rd to Lankinen Rd. Highway 2 is closed between Highway 1 to Highway 11. Only residents with passes issued by the Sheriff’s Office may travel along these highways.

• A Forest Service closure order is in place to protect public health and safety due to the Greenwood Fire. It extends across the Kawishiwi, Laurentian, and Tofte Ranger Districts. On September 1 the closure order was updated to allow use of Stony Spur Trail and a portion of Prospector Loop Trail which allows ATVs to travel safely from Babbitt to Ely. To see the full Forest order and other Forest closures, visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/superior.

• A Temporary Flight Restriction for aircraft is in place over the fire area.

AIR QUALITY: Minnesota smoke outlook: https://fires.airfire.org/outlooks/Minnesota. Additional information for therest of the state can be found at https://www.pca.state.mn.us/air/current-air-quality.

FIRE RESTRICTIONS: Fire restrictions are being evaluated daily and are currently in place for the Superior National Forest and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for areas within state jurisdiction Cook and Lake Counties and northern St. Louis County. Superior National Forest: Fire Restrictions Order and our Campfire Restrictions. See our FAQfor more information. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: MN DNR Wildland Fire Information.

Greenwood Fire information on Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7805/